Ammann
Since establishing a UAE subsidiary in 2006, German-headquartered Ammann has cemented its position as one of the leading suppliers of asphalt plants in the Middle East. In less than a decade, the company has installed more than 100 asphalt plants across the region.
“We focus mainly on after-sales service, which is managed through our highly skilled technical teams and warehouses based in Dubai and Saudi Arabia,” Fouad Abou Rjeili, general manager of Ammann NME, told PMV.
“Ammann has proven itself as a reliable partner for major contractors in this area. Our customers have come to know and rely on our technology and levels of service. Our long-term strategy is to further expand and fortify our presence in this region, and to remain leaders in our field.
Ammann also intends to play a major role in the introduction of new technologies for the production and recycling of asphalt materials,” he added.
With significant levels of infrastructure investment taking place across the GCC and beyond, Ammann’s regional presence is likely to grow even further during the coming years.
Ritchie Bros.
Established in Canada more than half a century ago, Ritchie Bros. is one of the most renowned names in the industrial auction sector. Today, the firm employs more than 1,400 full-time members of staff, and conducts auctions around the world.
In 2013, the company conducted 356 unreserved industrial and agricultural auctions worldwide, selling more than $3.8bn of equipment, trucks, and other assets. Moreover, the company’s Dubai auctions have become a regular feature of the Middle East’s second-hand machinery calendar, and 2014 has gotten off to a promising start.
“We started to pick up some momentum in July of last year, in the lead-up to the Expo 2020 announcement,” explained Steve Barritt, regional sales manager for Ritchie Bros. in the Middle East.
“Things went a little flat in January, but they seem to be picking up again. The prices achieved during our first Dubai auction of 2014 were strong; we’re hopeful that the market is in the midst of an uptick,” he said.
Barritt contends that the strong prices currently being achieved in the Middle East’s used equipment market are being driven by a relative dearth of new equipment.
“In many cases, it simply hasn’t been manufactured,” he told PMV.
“This means that prices are higher for second-hand equipment at present. The manufacturers just can’t keep up with the volume that they’re being asked to produce, and I think that this will continue for the next 12 months,” Barritt concluded.
World Wide Auctioneers
Since it began operating in the UAE in 2001, World Wide Auctioneers (WWA) has established itself as a pillar of the Middle East’s second-hand equipment community.
The firm has now held in excess of 100 auctions from its Jebel Ali base in Dubai, and has retained its model of no minimum bids, seller bids, or reserved items.
WWA has demonstrated a strong constitution in standing by its no-reserve philosophy. After all, the model can unnerve sellers of a sensitive nature. However, the strong prices achieved during WWA auctions, and the resultant trust that has grown amongst bidders, has helped to win over numerous traders.
“[Sellers] soon realise that it’s all about achieving a fair market price,” explained WWA’s Keith Lupton.
IronPlanet
It has certainly been an interesting year for online auction house, IronPlanet. In 2014 alone, the firm has formed a strategic alliance with Mascus, passed one-million registered users, and celebrated the 14th anniversary of its first online auction.
What’s more, the company’s chairman and CEO, Greg Owens, recently revealed to PMV that IronPlanet will use Mascus to expand its equipment sourcing operations beyond its traditional recruiting areas of North America and Europe.
Speaking about the benefits of the strategic alliance, Owens said: “From a sourcing standpoint, I hope that this gets us into some markets that we’re not in right now, such as the Middle East, South Africa, and others. Mascus operates in all of these areas, so by the click of a button, we’ll actually be able to source from more countries too.”
Before long, customers in the Middle East might be able to sell as well as buy used equipment through IronPlanet.
